*<sleep name=" Moalboal Backpacker Lodge" alt="" address="Panagsama Beach, Basdiot" directions="" phone="+63 905 227 8096" url="http://www.moalboal-backpackerlodge.com" checkin="" checkout="" price="275/350/480, dm/s/d" lat="" long="">A very popular place among backpackers. The dorm is a loft, with plenty of light and space to met people. Free wi-fi. You can use the kitchen. Friendly staff</sleep>

*<sleep name=" Moalboal Backpacker Lodge" alt="" address="Panagsama Beach, Basdiot" directions="" phone="+63 905 227 8096" url="http://www.moalboal-backpackerlodge.com" checkin="" checkout="" price="275/350/480, dm/s/d" lat="" long="">A very popular place among backpackers. The dorm is a loft, with plenty of light and space to met people. Free wi-fi. You can use the kitchen. Friendly staff</sleep>

*<sleep name="Barefoot White Beach Resort" alt="" address="White Beach, Basdako, Moalboal" directions="" phone="" url="http://www.barefoot.ph" checkin="" checkout="" price="Around php 2,500 for a standard room" lat="" long="">Clean, relaxed and close to the beach. There is no pool or restaurant, but the manager there will buy groceries in town and cook for you if you ask.</sleep>

*<sleep name="Barefoot White Beach Resort" alt="" address="White Beach, Basdako, Moalboal" directions="" phone="" url="http://www.barefoot.ph" checkin="" checkout="" price="Around php 2,500 for a standard room" lat="" long="">Clean, relaxed and close to the beach. There is no pool or restaurant, but the manager there will buy groceries in town and cook for you if you ask.</sleep>

*<sleep name="Mayas Native Garden" alt="" address="Panagsama beach" directions="" phone="+63 915 480 96 10" url="http://mayasnativegarden.com" checkin="" checkout="" price="" lat="" long="">Mayas is located in the heart of Panagsama Beach. Mayas Native Garden is a new resort, consisting of five beautiful native cottages built with western luxury & comfort. The big surrounding garden, is rough and trimmed with a myriad of plants and flowers where hummingbirds live and kids can play. A mere 40 meters from the sea, its a dream to go snorkeling, diving or swimming in the clear and warm sea. The spacious restaurant offers delicious food with great atmosphere from morning to evening.</sleep>

Revision as of 14:38, 6 February 2013

Moalboal is a small town on the South-West side of Cebu island.
It's mostly used as entry point to Panagsama Beach, where are most of the resorts, restaurants, bars and dive schools.

Contents

Understand

Get in

The easiest way to join Moalboal is from Cebu City. The 80km road is in good condition, even in the second part in the mountains.

By van

Most of the resorts/dive shops in Moalboal propose to hire van from Cebu airport to Moalboal. Be ready to pay around 2500PHP for this 2,5 hour trip.

By taxi

Taxis cn be hired at Cebu Airport for 2,400 pesos (fixed rate as of Nov 2012). Many of the hotels and guest houses in Panagsama Beach will send a car or van for pickup for about 2,000 pesos.

By bus

Watch out for problematic ticket collectors
Before boarding the bus, make sure you know the price you have to pay for the ticket. You can also read it off the ticket you get from the ticket collector (who will be on the bus during the whole journey). Do not pay more, this is the final price. It is also a good idea to pay the exact amount since the ticket collectors walk away with your money and tend to forget about the change. Some are very good at ignoring you. Also do as the locals do and pay your ticket as soon as possible and not shortly before you get off. This avoids discussion under time pressure.

As usual, the cheapest method is local bus (2,5 to 3 hours).
From Cebu airport, take a taxi and ask to go to the south bus terminal (the airport is in Mactan, quite far from Cebu city, so be ready to pay around 200PHP for this). The yellow airport taxis are more expensive - expect to pay around 300 PHP. White taxis can be found at the top of the ramp leading up to departures.

Then take the bus here (the main company is the yellow color buses of Ceres Liner). Be sure to use an already almost full bus to avoid waiting.
The no-aircon (most are like this) travel will cost you 107PHP (Jan 2013) + 10PHP of terminal fee if you don't pay directly in the bus. Air on buses are 111PHP (May 2012).

Coming from Dumaguete, it is possible to take the ferry boat between Siluban (ca PHP 100 by tricycle from the city center) and cross to Lilo-An on Cebu island. There, take another tricycle (around PHP 50) to the nearby bus station. Ceres busses headed for Cebu city stop there regularly, and some of them go via Moalboal (ask the driver). The bus fare is PHP65 (aircon, july 2012)

Note: there are no ATM's in Panagsama beach so bring enough pesos for your stay. There is, however (2012), an ATM in the 360 pharmacy in MoalBoal town (about 4 km from the beach, reachable by tricycle). Although sometimes doesn't work.

Get around

The easiest way to go around is to use tricycles.
From Moalboal to Panagsama Beach, the usual fare is 50PHP by day, but you will have to bargain during long hours to get that. Don't pay more than 80PHP though...To White beach most people were paying 100-150PHP in May 2012.

See

Kawasan Water Falls

The Kawasan water falls (3 steps) are located in the rain forest approximately 20 km south (after Badian).

If you take the bus from the South Bus Terminal in Cebu City, you can ask the bus driver or ticket collector to drop you off at the right place (the bus ticket with Ceres Liner costs PHP 126.00). The bus ticket from Moalboal to the water falls or vice versa costs PHP 19.00.

Travel on your own or rent a multicab form us: approximately 30 minutes of ascent through an impressive landscape.
Nice cooling swimming. Resting place tables against charge, small restaurants and very simple accommodations.

Be careful of the 'guides' offer. the walk up to the fall is very easy and you do not need a guide. Raft renting to the waterfall does not include drivers. each driver would demand 300 pesos each for pulling the raft. Not very nice!

You need to pay an entrance fee of PHP 5.00 and will get an official receipt.

Do

Snorkel

Just a few meters in beach shore in starting from Panagsama Beach center, there is a drop-off, near that area there are countless reefs, with corals, many different species of fishes, also starfish. Sometimes you can spot lion fishes, water snakes, and with some luck turtles.

Diving

Don't miss the great diving spots in Pescador Island.
Dives usually cost around 1500PHP with gear. There are a few "local owned" dive shops that are 1100-1200 PHP per dive. Most of the dive shops operate 3 dives per day and you can even do your own diving schedule on low season!

Other activities

You are no diver or you want to do something more? For the active vacation, Planet Action Adventure [1] offers a diverse program: Hiking, mountaineering, mountain bike, caves and canyons in untouched rain forest, volcano ascent in Negros.

Freediving

Freediver in Moalboal

Buy

You can buy any kind of souvenirs on the beaches and locals will remind you if you forget ;)

Eat

Maya's Mexican is in the main Part on Panagsama Beach and does excellent Mexican food - a nice change. They do superb fresh shakes (mango) and have a great BBQ.

Drink

You can drink in any restaurant close to the sea.

The Chili Bar in Panagsama Beach is the main one. You will find two billiards table there (as in almost all the other bar around). Across from Chili Bar is 7 Sins Bar, also with a pool table and lots of seating.

On Saturday night, there is "Disco party" organised by locals. Ask around where it is, everybody knows!

Sleep

Moalboal Backpacker Lodge, Panagsama Beach, Basdiot, ☎+63 905 227 8096, [4]. A very popular place among backpackers. The dorm is a loft, with plenty of light and space to met people. Free wi-fi. You can use the kitchen. Friendly staff275/350/480, dm/s/d.

Barefoot White Beach Resort, White Beach, Basdako, Moalboal, [5]. Clean, relaxed and close to the beach. There is no pool or restaurant, but the manager there will buy groceries in town and cook for you if you ask.Around php 2,500 for a standard room.

Mayas Native Garden, Panagsama beach, ☎+63 915 480 96 10, [6]. Mayas is located in the heart of Panagsama Beach. Mayas Native Garden is a new resort, consisting of five beautiful native cottages built with western luxury & comfort. The big surrounding garden, is rough and trimmed with a myriad of plants and flowers where hummingbirds live and kids can play. A mere 40 meters from the sea, its a dream to go snorkeling, diving or swimming in the clear and warm sea. The spacious restaurant offers delicious food with great atmosphere from morning to evening.